Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-17
"Russia at the Theatfe Tonight.


Russia" with all its snow and ice
and sleighs, &c, will be put on the
Richmond Theatre stage tonight for
the first time anywhere. A large
audience will no doubt be pre-
sent, as the palate of the thea
tre. goer longs for something, espe-
cially if there is freezing feature
about it. The drama is written in SIX
acts. Mr.. +. G.. Bangs, talented
actor and always a great favorite here,
and Miss Charlotte Behrens, who IS
also fayorably remembered, take the
principal characters, and their support
Of ten persons is pronounced far above
tie average.
For about week the company has
been industriously rehearsing, and yes
terday seemed to be almost perfect IN
their parts. 49,,
The performance tomorrow night Will
be fer the benefit of Richmond Lodge
Of Elks that is, the lodge will be bene-
fited by all the tickets the members
sell. So if you want to help them
buy your tickets from them.
Russia is founded upon incidents as
sociated with the disturbances In Rus-
sia during the Nihilistic instructions,
into which is interviewer an interesting
love story, introducing the hero and
heroine-Count Olgareff, an officer in
| the Russian service, and Vera Moron,
a plebian. The scene OF the play
opens in a cataret in st. Petersburg,
| introducing Count Olgaref and his
| friend Resof, an officer in the same
regiment, in q drunken orgie. They
are there to meet certain ladies with
whom they expect to sup. Disappointed
in their coming, forgetting that courte-
sy and soilderlike manliness belonging
to officers of the army of the Gar,
they offer an insult to an innocent
Girl, Vera Norof, the heroine, whom
they observe passing the cataret. In
their drunkenness they drag her into
| the cataret, offer her wine, and III be-
havior unbeeDming officers endeavor
| to force her to sup with them, employ
ing rude familiarities that are resented.
| The effect of the scene causes the girl
to cry ont for help. Citizens, in pass-
ing, enter the cataret, from which the
| drunken officers have made a speedy
escape. The girls father, DR.. Noroh,
appears, Immediately followed 10y the
| invalid mother, WHO is so shocked by
the insult offered to her daughter that
she expires, making climax ending
the first act
The scenes that follow expose to the
| Gar Of Russia the unmanly and unof-
ficer-like conduct of the two officers
who offered Tie affropt to the young
| girl He orders severe punishment
| The girl is made a witness, who con
fronts all the officers, who are present
ed in line at the barracks and are made
to pass before her. She is ordered to
point out the guilty ones; She does So
first recognizing kesof, then Vladimir
Their punishment is declared by the
general of the post, who reads the
order of the Car, banishing them
TO Siberia. An affecting farewell
between mother and son follows
Next act opens in Siberia-the
officers in exile. Through a Nihilistlt
| lnsuIrectlon tnc OHccIs hIo ahoiuoo
an opportunity to exhibit their loyalty
to their country. The Gar il informed
of their bravery, pirdons them. anc
they return to St. Petersburg. Valdi
mir and Vera meet at the home o
Countess Olgereff, the msther OF Valdl
mir; they fall in love with each other
| the Countess favors the suit, and after
two more acts, embracing varied Incl
dents Of interest, the play finally end
by the marriage Of Vladimir Olgaret
and Vera, endorsed by the Gar, b.
the noblesse, and by the mother:
The scenes of the play are laid In st
Petersburg and Siberia. There are ap
propriatc scenic effects and elegant cos
tunes furnished by Van Horn, o
Philadelphia, with emblematic sur
roundings suited to the requirement
Of the play.
The company have been here re
htarsing for four or five days. Las
night there was full-dress rehearsal